Tasting The Enemy

Elaine POV

I clutched the warm blanket wrapped around me to chase the cold coming from deep inside me, but it could do nothing to ease the loneliness I felt within. I passed out once I was in a vehicle. I didn’t want him to leave. I wanted him to fight for me. I wanted to fight for us but I was weak. I was too weak to fight for Azaire.

“She’ll be fine,” someone whispered.

“I don’t get it, Blazer. When did this start? I never knew anything was wrong,” Opal sniffled.

“She was born this way. She’s cursed we don’t know why but it’s only the venom of a family member that puts her curse at ease. Elaine can’t even shift the way we do. Avena’s been helping her all these years but there’s no cure to her curse.”

“Oh my gosh,” Opal whimpered. “Poor thing.”

“I can’t believe she messed with Azaire Shaw. He’s older than Nik, for goodness sake.”

Opal groaned. I should have let them know I was awake but I allowed them to talk.

“Is that what you’re concerned about? Azaire’s age?”

“Of course not. He’s the enemy.”

“He’s her fated mate, Blazer.”

Silence and my heart rate spiked. Maybe Blazer didn’t need to know the truth.

“Oh, shit,” Blazer mumbled.

“She didn’t plan this, but the bond’s powerful and they gave in. Is it so wrong?”

Blazer blew out a breath. “It’s not but everyone else won’t see it the way we do. I have to go, let me know when she wakes up.”

“Sure.”

The door clicked shut and Opal sighed heavily. I pushed the blanket down and stared at the ceiling.

“That went better than I thought,” I said.

“Hey, you’re awake. Blazer and Nik aren’t the same person. He gave you his venom.”

“Nik just left huh?”

Opal nodded, crawled beside me and dove under the covers.

“He’s a dick don’t worry about him.”

“And Azaire?”

“I called him. He knows where you are.”

“Will he come?”

“I don’t know… I’m sure he will. I know leaving you hurt him. Nik’s such a dick.”

“Do you… believe what Azaire said?” How could my brother be a killer? Nik was a lot of things but he did say he should have put Azaire in the ground kind of damns him.

Did Azaire’s family plot the murder of Luna Bianca? I didn’t have a relationship with her but her death hurt the pack, my brother and Father.

“I don’t know Elaine… I don’t.”

“Neither do I.”

“I’m sorry about your curse I can’t believe you kept all this to yourself all this time!”

“I couldn’t tell anyone. Dad didn’t want the pack to know there was a wolf who could heal or that his daughter had a defective wolf, but my powers were for his advantage only.”

Opal frowned. “I don’t get it Avena’s supposedly the most powerful witch like ever how come she didn’t come up with a solution?”This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

I lifted a shoulder. “Because she’s a bitch and she’s been making my situation worse this whole time.”

Silence fell over us for a minute before Opal lifted her knees to her chest and squeezed them.

“I’ve been keeping a secret too…” Opal whispered.

I sat up and stared at her.

“Look, it may sound disgusting to you but it wasn’t to me when it happened.

“Geez, Opal!”

“Fine. Nik and I… we’re fated mates.”

I slapped a hand over my mouth. I recalled saying Nik was probably going to marry the daughter of a powerful Alpha in front of Opal! I cringed.

“Don’t do that!” Opal screeched.

“You don’t act like it! What happened?”

Opal lifted a shoulder. “Nothing happened. I’ve always loved him but Nik loves power more. He wanted us to keep things a secret and I did. I realized he was stringing me along I got tired of the dark, Elle. He really is going to marry someone from a powerful family. That’s his duty.”

“Opal, what does that mean for you? Are you going to… leave him?”

“Reject him?” She looked away. “I guess before he does it to me. I thought it was wonderful when we found out we were fated. I’d had a crush on him since we were kids. I said a thousand thank yous to the moon goddess.”

I leaned against the headboard and sighed. I knew something fishy was going on between them, but I didn’t think they were fated to each other!

I wasn’t in my home otherwise Opal wouldn’t be here. I was in her room at her house which I was thankful for but how long would this last? Opal lived next door to the Alpha. He could swoop in and snatch me when he wanted or Avena could barge in and take revenge on me.

When the door flew open and banged against the door I thought I was done for because, after last night’s shift, I wouldn’t be shifting until the next full moon. Instead of Avena it was Nik.

“Don’t you knock?” Opal blasted.

“What did you do to Neel?” Nik demanded.

I looked away recalling the power surge that consumed him.

“Whatever she did. He deserved it.”

“This is serious Opal. She set the dude on fire.”

“I didn’t mean to! He did deserve it though.” I grumbled.

“Elaine!” Nik barked.

“He kidnapped me and…” I shut my eyes, recalling Neel’s mouth on my body.

I recoiled. I wanted to escape my own skin remembering that.

“What?” Nik demanded.

I shook my head. “Nothing, I defended myself.”

“Yeah, you should leave, Nik,” Opal said, holding the door.

Nik and Opal shared a heated glare.

“I wasn’t asking Nik. Get out.”

Nik’s muscles clenched and the veins popped out of his neck.

“This isn’t over.” Nik stormed out.

I didn’t expect it to be over. I walked to the window and gripped the frame. I stared at the mountains. The fire was too hot to face. Dad wouldn’t stop chasing me and he still held answers to who my Mother was and who I really am.

A knock came on the door. Opal and I stared at one another for a second. She lifted a shoulder before walking to the door. Opal poked her head through the door.

“Yes?”

“There’s someone at the front door,” a guy said, he was one of the beta guards.

“Who?” Opal asked.

“An unfriendly.”

Who the hell could that be?